For all of its sunny eclecticism,
Natural Ingredients lacked the darkly funky urban soundscapes that made In Search of Manny so engaging.
Fever in Fever Out brings that dark funkiness while keeping the pop hooks that made
Natural Ingredients a step forward. Producer
Daniel Lanois keeps his ambient tendencies to a minimum, providing just enough atmosphere to make songs as catchy as the jazzy, intricate "Naked Eye" surprisingly haunting. But what really impresses is the sense of forward motion
Luscious Jackson displays on
Fever in Fever Out, how their eclecticism is becoming more seamless as their songs grow stronger. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine